Utilizing the suitable app is important when you write and take notes every day. After attempting many instruments through the years, I’ve come to a degree the place I solely think about apps that provide some key options. These aren’t simply pretty extras—they’re absolute must-haves. Listed here are the options I refuse to compromise on.

6

The App Should Work Throughout All Gadgets

I take advantage of gadgets operating most working techniques—together with a Home windows laptop computer, a Chromebook, a MacBook, an iPhone, and an Android smartphone. Due to this, I typically want to change between gadgets relying on whether or not I am working from residence or touring. The primary characteristic I search for in a writing software is cross-device and cross-OS compatibility.

At any time when I discover a new note-taking or writing software or get a advice, I test its web site to make sure it helps most desktop and cell platforms. The software also needs to sync my notes throughout all gadgets, guaranteeing I all the time have the most recent model of my content material. If it doesn’t supply that, I gained’t even attempt it.

5

I Want Constructed-In OCR for Scanning Textual content

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is a useful characteristic that lets you scan handwritten or printed notes and switch them into editable, searchable textual content. Because it’s so sensible, most note-taking apps embrace it—and for me, it’s a non-negotiable. It presents two essential advantages that make note-taking way more environment friendly.

First, it spares you the effort of manually typing lengthy passages or getting into information from printed supplies. Again in school, this characteristic saved me hours of labor. Second, it helps you to seek for particular key phrases or subjects inside scanned paperwork, making it simpler to seek out what you want with out flipping by way of stacks of paper.

4

Model Historical past Is a Lifesaver

Version history maintains a timeline of all adjustments made to a doc or notice. It lets you view, evaluate, and restore earlier variations anytime. So when you unintentionally delete content material, overwrite one thing necessary, or need to revisit an earlier draft, model historical past has your again. There are two essential the explanation why this characteristic is non-negotiable for me.

I ceaselessly collaborate with editors, junior writers, or shoppers, so I’ve to see what adjustments had been made, when, and by whom. Model historical past makes that straightforward. It additionally saves me from creating a number of copies when experimenting with completely different angles for a chunk—I can all the time return to an earlier draft or concept at any time when I would like.

Since I ceaselessly collaborate with others, I search for instruments that make collaboration easy. Firstly, sharing a doc needs to be easy—ideally, only a few clicks. I need to be capable to handle permissions effortlessly—whether or not I would like somebody to view, go away feedback, or have full enhancing rights. Plus, I ought to be capable to revoke their entry anytime.

The app ought to embrace a suggestion mode that permits others to suggest adjustments, making it a lot simpler for me to overview and reply to suggestions. I additionally recognize instruments that help threaded feedback. These options have turn into so integral to my workflow that I gained’t think about a software that doesn’t have them.

Lastly, a evaluate characteristic that permits me to investigate two variations of a doc facet by facet to establish adjustments can simplify the method.

2

Ease of Use and Integrations

I am unable to stand instruments with sophisticated interfaces the place you must dig by way of menus to entry fundamental options. On the similar time, the interface should not be overloaded with choices I not often use. I favor a easy, intuitive design that lets me set up notes in a logical hierarchy, tag them for straightforward looking out, and doesn’t require an extended studying curve.

I additionally favor instruments that may simply combine with different companies, resembling cloud storage companies, so my notes are accessible from anyplace, or activity administration instruments like Asana. I test if the software helps add-ons or extensions, which permits me so as to add further options that are not natively accessible within the app.

1

Templates Velocity Up the Writing Course of

Whereas it’s not a whole dealbreaker, I recognize it when a writing software features a stable library of templates. Having pre-built templates with formatting, layouts, sections, and heading kinds lets me dive straight into the content material with out losing time constructing the whole lot from scratch. It cuts down on repetitive duties and offers productiveness a pleasant increase.

For instance, if I’m placing collectively a case examine, it’s tremendous useful to have a template with sections for the overview, key findings, options, and outcomes—already styled and formatted. Or, once I’m drafting a undertaking transient, having a template the place I can plug within the overview, objectives, and milestones and replace standing as issues progress makes the method smoother and quicker.

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These are a few of the key options I prioritize when deciding on or testing a note-taking or writing software. Whereas I don’t count on an app to tick each field, having these options makes it worthwhile. What options do you prioritize in a writing software? I take advantage of Evernote and Google Docs for most of my writing, whereas OneNote handles most of my note-taking.